1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electrical apparatus fitted with an operation panel having a plurality of operation buttons such as an image forming apparatus, for example, as exemplified by a copier, and such an operation panel.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, in an image forming apparatus as exemplified by a copier, an operation panel operable by a user is provided on the front surface. This operation panel has various operation buttons used to set an operating state of the image forming apparatus and to perform an image forming operation utilizing desired functions. In many cases, character information describing the names of functions to show purposes of utilization, picture sign information describing the functions by means of abstracted figures and the like are respectively attached in the vicinity of such operation buttons or to the front surfaces or the like of such operation buttons.
The picture sign information is for conveying the function to the user in the form of image information and has, as a whole, an advantage that the user can grasp the function at first glance. However, there are also functions difficult to clearly express by picture signs and the user cannot readily understand them in some cases. Accordingly, in terms of user friendliness, it is desirable to express the functions of the operation buttons by attaching not only the picture sign information, but also the character information to the operation panel.
In the case of expressing the functions by the character information, the functions may not be understood by a user unless being written in a language of a linguistic area to which the user belongs. Thus, it is desirable to prepare various kinds of operation panels, each attached with character information corresponding to the linguistic area. For example, there can be employed such a method according to which function name sheets written with the picture signs and the character information described above are prepared for each language, and are mounted in accordance with the linguistic area to which the user belongs. Specifically, for an area like Europe where the same products are commonly sold in different linguistic areas, a method according to which function name sheets prepared in a plurality of languages are included in packages and users set the function name sheets of a necessary language may be employed. Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2004-127060 discloses a technology of switching a display language on a liquid crystal display in conformity with the language of character information written on labels adhered to an operation unit.
However, according to the method for including the function name sheets prepared in a plurality of languages as described above, the function name sheets prepared in languages other than the one corresponding to the linguistic area to which the user belongs are unnecessary and substantially discarded. In spite of this fact, producers are obliged to include a plurality of function name sheets for each function in the packages and the product cost is increased just by that much. Particularly in the case of color printing picture signs and the like describing functions in order to improve the design effect, an increase in the cost cannot be ignored.